Much appreciated little touches are the padded headliner and push-on-and-off flush interior light lenses. Between the shift lever and the handbrake are the choke and hand throttle. Beneath these controls, and the standard equipment signal seeking radio with its delightfully fast electric antenna, is a lift-out ashtray which very conveniently exposes the fuse box. We weren't able to evaluate them properly, however, because the Nissan people were still having trouble getting them connected up right (ours was an early preproduction 240Z). Below them are the heater/ventilation controls, which are comprehensive and should be very effective. These three faces are a bit far from the normal line of sight to suit us, but they are clearly readable. The central console is topped by three dials containing the water temperature/oil pressure and alternator charge/fuel level gauges plus an accurate clock. The speedometer was a bit disconcerting, beginning at 20 mph we realize that accuracy suffers below this speed, but we’d like to see the 10 and 0 at least marked on the instrument. Speedometer and tachometer are large dials right in front of the driver both were steady and accurate, actually reading about 1 percent slow. The backrests are adjustable only through about 10 degrees, sufficient for seating variations but not permitting full reclining. The seats and the positions of all the controls are equally right: every member of our staff found the seating comfortable for him, a rare occurrence on even the most luxurious cars. For one interested in the business of driving, this simplicity is satisfyingly functional. In fact, the lack of color is so severe that only the warm wood grains of the steering wheel rim (simulated) and gearshift knob (real) provide relief. Inside the car, the driver and passenger are immediately impressed by a very modern layout which would seem almost Corvette-like if it weren’t more tastefully done in black vinyl. Driving around in the car, one thing that surprised us slightly was the lack of attention it received while it was admired by those who had the occasion to see it up close, it didn’t make anyone gawk as it went by. Our capable artist Werner Biihrer has again produced a thorough R&T Styling Analysis, which appears on pages 64-65. Regardless of its influences, the 240Z is a very good design: clean, crisp and contemporary if perhaps sitting a bit high on its wheels. The Jaguar was the one getting the most attention from the Nissan stylists and engineers this is not surprising, because the E-Type opened up a market all its own nine years ago and the 240Z could do worse than be a $3500 equivalent with the proportionately higher sales potential. In a Nissan-produced movie that we saw recently on the development of the 240Z, the exterior forms and seating packages of all the contemporary GT cars were carefully evaluated and compared to the forms that Nissan was considering (using R&T’s own Road Test data panel drawings, we were pleased to note). There are several obvious influences on the 240Z, among them the Jaguar E-Type coupe, the Toyota 2000 GT, the Porsche 911 series and even the Ferrari 275 GTB. Since the styling of the 240Z is the first thing you see (and probably the most important factor in what we think will be a tremendous penetration into the GT market), we’ll begin with the body lines. But the resulting 240Z (fully described in the January issue) surprised everyone by having a structure all its own, entirely new independent rear suspension, a 6-cyl 2.4-liter stretch of the 510’s 1.6-liter four, and a classy fastback body that owes nothing to any previous Nissan product. Perhaps we expected only a lower, lighter 2-seat version of the sedan, using the 4-cyl unit. It was to be expected that Nissan would not be long in producing a sports derivative of the 510. Although the 16 Sports have been greatly improved during the last few years, they still exemplify the old formula: stark 2-seat open bodywork, strong but noisy engine, good roadholding with few concessions to riding comfort, good performance for the money.īut Nissan Motors had been studying the latest German and Italian design practices (not to mention carefully examining the situation in this country) and two years ago we saw the first result: the totally modern Datsun 510 sedan, with its single-overhead-cam engine and all-independent suspension. Both of these models are based on British design influences, which is logical since the British were dominating the sports car market when the Japanese first took a serious look at it. sports car market for a number of years now with the 1600 Sports and its 2-liter derivative. Datsun has had a sizable portion of the U.S.
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